by Doug Stanglin and Alia E. Dastagir, USA TODAY

by Doug Stanglin and Alia E. Dastagir, USA TODAY

As President Obama prepared to address the nation Tuesday night, a Russian proposal that Syria place its chemical arms under international control triggered a flurry of diplomatic moves. Here's what you need to know:

â?¢ President Obama said during his prime-time address that images and videos of children in pain and dying in Syria require the United States to act. He also said it is within the United States' ability to prevent Syrian President Assad from using chemical weapons again by launching strikes.

â?¢ Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with Sergey Lavrov, Russia's prime minister, in Geneva on Thursday to try and reach an agreement on a U.N. resolution that would require Syria to give up chemical weapons or face consequences.

â?¢ Syria Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said Damascus is ready to sign an international agreement banning chemical weapons and pledged to open its storage sites and provide full disclosure immediately.

â?¢ Syria is one of only five countries - including North Korea, Angola, Egypt and South Sudan - that has not signed the Chemical Weapons Convention that was drawn up in 1993.

â?¢ Obama said in his address that he spoke with the leaders of France and the United Kingdom, and that the United States would work with Russia and China to present a resolution to the U.N. Security Council requiring Syrian President Assad to give up his weapons.

â?¢ Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, testifying before a House committee, expressed cautious support for the Russian proposal, but said it must not be used as a diplomatic stalling tactic.

â?¢ Russian President Vladimir Putin said any agreement over Syria would work only if the United States and its allies renounce the use of force against Damascus.

â?¢ The Arab League said it backs the Russian proposal.

â?¢ France said it would put a resolution before the United Nations Security Council appealing to Syria to make public details of its chemical weapons program. Putin said he opposed the language of the French proposed resolution to the U.N. Security Council.